4. IRIS Flashcards
NAIC Analyst team system
Financial examiners review IRIS & RBC & place company into 1 of 3 levels
A : YES require immediate action
B : NO require immediate action but potential adverse results
No attention needed


IRIS Ratio 1 (5)
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
GWP =?
if negative GWP then IRIS 1 = ?
- GWP/PHS
- Unusual>=900
- Unusual means surplus inadequate to absorb losses before reinsurance
- GWP = DWP + Reinsurance assumed from affiliates + reinsurance assumed from NONaffiliates
- If Negative GWP THEN IRIS 1 ratio = 0
IRIS Ratio 2
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
if negative GWP then IRIS 1 = ?
- NWP/PHS
- Unusual>=300
- Unusual means surplus inadequate to absorb losses after reinsurance
- If Negative NWP THEN IRIS 2 ratio = 0
IRIS 1 & 2 Considerations
large differences means?
longer tail LOB implications
mostly assumed GWP implications
IRIS 5 implications
pooling arrangemtn implications
- If IRIS ratio 1 and 2 are VERY different than relying too much on reinsurance?
- Longer tail LOB are more volatile → need lower ratios
- If GWP is mostly assumed (insurers have less control over assumed)→ Need lower IRIS ratio 1
- Insurers w/ favorable IRIS ratio 5 (good profit) & adequate reinsurance can have higher IRIS ratio 1
- Pooling arrangements distort IRIS Ratio 1


IRIS Ratio 3
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
other
other
- (Current Year NWP - Prior Year NWP) / Prior Year NWP
- Unusual>=33 or <=33
- Unusual means rapid growth on purpose by relaxing UW to increase cash flow or financial distress
- Unstable year-over-year results may indicate lack of control over business strategy
- Reasonable IRIS ratio 2,5,11-13 can make unusual IRIS ratio 3 okay


IRIS Ratio 4
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
unusual range can be caused by
if unusual then?
- Surplus Aid / PHS Current
- -Surplus Aid = (ceding commission / ceded prem) * (UEPR from non-affiliates)
- -Ceding commission = reinsurance ceded commissions + reinsurance ceded contingent commission
- -Ceded premium = reinsurance prem ceded from affiliates** + reinsurance prem ceded from **NON-affiliates
- -UEPR from non-affiliates=UEP on other US unaffiliated insurers + UEP on mandatory/voluntary pools + UEP on other non-US insurers
- Unusual>=15
- Unusual means relying on surplus aid (ceding commissions) to boost PHS?
- Unusual can be caused by inadequate PHS, too much reinsurance (collectability risk), or high reinsurance commission rate?
- If unusual then subtract surplus aid from PHS in denominator of IRIS ratios 1,2,7,10,13 [PHS (1-Surpus Aid %)]








IRIS Ratio 5
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
unusual range can be caused by
if unusual then?
- 2 yr overall operating Ratio = 2 yr LR + 2 yr expense ratio - 2 yr investment ratio
- 2 yr LR = [2 yr L&LAE incurred + 2 yr policyholder dividends] / 2 yr EP
- 2 yr expense ratio = [2 yr other UW expense - 2 yr other income] / 2 yr NWP
- 2 yr investment ratio = 2 yr InvInc earned / 2 yr EP
- Unusual>=100
- unusual means low profitability caused by high loss ratio or high expense ratio or low investment ratio
* 7. High losses from cats or poor loss development?*
* 8. High expenses caused by commission and brokerage or salaries and operating expenses?*
* 9. Low investment ratio causes by low investment yields (IRIS 6)* - If unusual then look at IRIS 13 (reserve adequacy) or recalc IRIS 5 after removing prior yr development as calculated in IRIS 11


IRIS Ratio 6
formula
unusual range
high unsual means
low unusual means
- Investment yield = Max(0, net investment income earned/ avg cash & invested asset of current & prior yr)
- Denominator = ½ [+ total cash & invested assets (both yrs) + investment income due & accrued (both yrs) - borrowed money (both yrs) - net investment income earned]
- Unusual is >6.5% or <3.0%
- High unusual means high risk instruments or extraordinary dividends
- Low unusual means speculative investments (low income now but high later), high tax exempt bonds, high interest on borrowed $, high investment expenses


IRIS Ratio 7
formula
unsual range
meansures?
cause of high unusual range
cause of low unusual range
- ∆ in surplus / prior surplus
- Unusual is <= negative 10% or >=+50%
- Measures change in financial position (does not account for insurers contributing capital to cover up change to surplus)
- Cause of unusual high value= under-reserve to avoid insolvency, growth, merger
- Cause of unusual low value =cats, losing money (IRIS 5), consider IRIS 4 (surplus aid), consider IRIS 8 (change in surplus notes or captial paid-in or surplus paid-in)


IRIS Ratio 8
formula
unsual range
meansures?
cause of high unusual range
cause of low unusual range
- (∆ in surplus - ∆ in surplus notes - surplus paid in - capital paid in) / prior surplus
- Unusual is <= negative 10% or >=+20%
- Measures change in financial position based on operational results (accounts for insurers contributing capital to cover up change to surplus)
- Cause of unusual high value= underserve to avoid insolvency, growth, merger
- Cause of unusual low value= cats, losing money (IRIS 5)
IRIS Ratio 9
formula
unsusual range
unusual means
other
- Adjusted lib / liquid assets
- Adjusted liab = total liab - deferred agent balances
- Liquid assets = bonds + stocks +cash + receivables + interest due & accrued - investment in parents/subsid/affiliates
- Unusual is >= 100%
- Unusual means low inability to meet short term obligations
- Deferred agent balances are removed bc not liquid
- Bonds include at book/adjusted carrying value
- If unusual then consider prior IRIS 9 trending up?, reserve adequacy, asset values, mix, liquidity
- Skewed up when large deposits w/ reinsured companies? liquid assets down
IRIS Ratio 10
formula
unsusual range
measures
- Gross Agents Balances in course of collection / PHS
- Unusual is >= 40%
- How dependent PHS is to assets that may not be collectible if go insolvent


IRIS Ratio 11
formula
unusual #
unusual means?
- 1 yr development / PHS prior yr
2. Unusual is >= 20%
- Unusual means reserve deficiency on 1 yr development basis


IRIS Ratio 12
formula
unusual#
unusual means?
- 2 yr development / PHS 2nd prior yr
2. Unusual is >= 20%
- Unusual means reserve deficiency on 2 yr development basis
IRIS 11 & 12 considerations
positive ratio means vs negative ratio means?
unusual range means numerator is high due to?
unusual range means denominator is low due to?
considerations (2)
exhibit to caculate IRIS 11 & 12?
- Positive ratio means deficiency & negative ratio means redundancy
- Unusual range means numerator is high due to loss rsv strengthening, write off uncollectible reinsurance losses, commutation of reinsurance
- unusual range means denominator is low bc change in tabular discounts
- Which LOB/AY is issue? Look at Schedule P part 2
- prior unusual IRIS 11 and 12 ? intentional understating loss rsvs
- 5 yr historical exhibit
IRIS Ratio 13
formula
unusual range
unusual means?
what overstates IRIS Ratio 13
what understates IRIS Ratio 13
- estimated L&LAE reserve deficiency or redundancy/ PHS current yr
- numerator = estimated required rsvs – current rsvs
- numerator = current EP(Preliminary Ratio) – current rsvs
- PR = avg (developed L& LAE rsvs prior yr / EP prior yr), (developed L&LAE rsvs 2nd prior yr/ E{ 2nd prior yr)
- developed L& LAE rsvs prior yr = L&LAE rsvs prior yr+1 yr loss rsv development
- developed L& LAE rsvs 2nd prior yr = L&LAE rsvs 2nd prior yr+2 yr loss rsv development
7. Unusual is >= 25%
- Unusual means current rsvs are inadequate
- Big premium increase overstates IRIS 13 (numerator ↑)
- Big shift to liability LOB understates IRIS 13 as development is delayed (PR ↓)







